FRANCE. Banque de France. 500 Francs, ND (1943). P-101Asp. Specimen Proof. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 E Known to collectors as the "Colbert" note. A very rare specimen proof, and the first we have had the opportunity to offer. The design was created by Euvre de Lucien Jonas, and engraved by Georges Beltrand. Intaglio printing courtesy of Piel. These notes were created in World War II when France was still under Nazi Germany occupation. It is seen without a watermark. This version 2 specimen proof was specifically designed for size fitting purposes.
The size of the issued version of this note is 105 x 175. This issued notes were printed as "reserve" notes for Banque de France, so they can declare them as legal tender anytime they want. Seen with Colbert at left, and Mercury at right. Oversized margins. Interestingly, there are no annotations from the printer, or anyone else which we would typically expect to see in a specimen proof, only further cementing this note as a special piece. We expect this note to garner a lot of interest for its history, problem-free beauty, and scarceness..PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ...From The Lin Zhan Wei Collection
